Monday, February 8, 2010

No Powers? NoProblems (part 2)

We looked at some of these a while back, but here are a few more. These are the heroes who don't have anything more going for them than spandex and cool moves, yet we still see them go toe-to-toe with heroes like Superman and the Hulk. The funny thing is that you probably never notice they don't have any powers because they're in the fight just as much as the big guys.

Union Jack

Now here's a guy who's gone up against vampires, terrorists, and other super-baddies, but has never backed down. Armed only with a silver-bladed knife and a revolver, Union Jack's latest incarnation (Joey Chapman) carries on the tradition started in World War 1 by Lord Falsworth.

Another cool thing about the character is the fact that he's one of the few that hasn't changed costumes that much over the years. Considered the UK's version of Captain America (even though Captain Britain would make a better choice to me), this hero proves you don't have to be super-powered to fight evil. It was even brought to the forefront in his "London Falling" miniseries as he was teamed with powerful heroes and actually made leader of the team.

Catman

While this guy might not be classified as a hero per se, he's done enough in "Secret Six" to show he has the potential to be quite the hero. He has superior tracking skills, incredible fighting abilities, and a really nasty looking blade. The thing that makes him different is his leadership style.

This is one guy who actually leads his team. He doesn't always make the right decisions necessarily, but at least he sticks to his decisions and runs with them. Unfortunately, when you're leading a group of psychopaths, it doesn't always go smoothly. Still, you've got to give him credit for keeping most of them alive this long.

Moon Knight

The Fist of Khonshu makes the list with the most gadgets, vehicles, and other toys of all of them. He even has more secret identities than anyone else!

For a while, Marvel took him down this incredibly dark road where he killed everyone he fought in an attempt to make him some super-dark version of Batman, but now it appears Marvel has changed their mind and doesn't mind having a hero who doesn't kill.

Even though he doesn't kill, he's probably the most brutal hero on this list. The criminals definitely know not to mess with him again.

Adam Strange

This was a suggestion by a reader from our last list.

I've never really understood the value of this character, but there's no denying he's just a normal guy doing a bang-up job in the hero world. He teleports to Rann on the Zeta Beam and has managed to keep a fairly normal life for himself there with a wife and child.

The recent Rann-Thanagar War was a pretty cool storyline that saw him leading the fight against Hawkman's home world. He also had a pretty big role in "52" with Animal Man and Starfire as they tried to get back to Earth. And keep in mind these are just recent adventures...he's been around for over 40 years!

Green Arrow

Yet another example of a "normal" guy keeping up with the super-powered titans around him, Green Arrow has been a member of the JLA off and on for years. He's faced off galactic threats and even those closer to home. And let us never forget that he's the man who shot Deathstroke in the eye during their fight in Identity Crisis.

He's an incredible archer with a hot temper who never seems to back down from any fight. He's been the yang to Hal Jordan's yin for years. He's one of those heroes that you just take for granted has some super power because he always holds his own in every fight. And yet, through it all, he's just a normal guy with some mad archery skills.

Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)

I know it's weird to finish out this list with a dead hero (especially since his lack of superpowers didn't help his death by gunshot), but you have to give credit where it's due. While Green Arrow held his own around other heroes in the JLA, Blue Beetle held his own in the JLI around guys like Guy Gardner, Booster Gold, and Martian Manhunter.

Another "gadget guy", it was Blue Beetle's last adventure that took the time to turn him from a comic relief character into one bad dude. He single-handedly snuck into Maxwell Lord's fortress and found out the truth of what he was doing. Forget Batman's stealth, Beetle had potential too from what we saw there! Unfortunately, they finished him off rather permanently and the Black Lantern version we're seeing is a pale imitation of the real thing. Of course, with so many heroes dying in "Blackest Night", you know DC will have to bring many of them back in the end. Here's hoping Ted Kord is one of the lucky ones.

For whatever reason, I tend to gravitate toward superheroes who don't have powers ... Nightwing, Daredevil (his radar doesn't count,) Green Arrow, The Punisher and, of course, Batman. Not sure why that is ... maybe it's just easier to relate to these guys.